UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups and earthquakes (Week 118)

QUESTION 1

What are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)? Discuss their defining characteristics, the origin of the PVTG category, and the expected benefits and challenges of separate enumeration.

QUESTION 2

What is an earthquake and its underlying causes? Why are shallow-focus earthquakes generally more destructive than deep-focus ones? Illustrate with suitable examples.

General points on the structure of the answers for UPSC Mains

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: What are Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)? Discuss their defining characteristics, the origin of the PVTG category, and the expected benefits and challenges of separate enumeration.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— PVTGs are a sub-category of Scheduled Tribes (STs), which show either a declining or stagnant population, geographical isolation, use of pre-agrarian practices (such as hunting and gathering), economic backwardness, and relatively low literacy.

— This category was established based on the recommendations of the Dhebar Commission (1960-61)—led by former Member of Parliament U N Dhebar—which explored the many concerns confronting STs and consulted with state governments. The Commission noted disparities in socioeconomic and living situations among tribal groups and concluded that some were more susceptible than others.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— Initially, 52 groups were identified as PVTGs (then known as Primitive Tribal Groups) during the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-1979), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) told the Rajya Sabha in a written response to a query on March 19, 2025.

— In 2006, the Centre added 23 more tribal groups to PVTGs, taking the total to 75. PVTGs are currently spread across 18 states, and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

— Over the years, the criteria for identifying PVTGs have been questioned, especially the marker of geographical isolation. PVTGs have never been enumerated separately in any census. However, since PVTGs are a sub-category of STs, some among the 75 groups are counted under the broad ST category. This is because many PVTGs are not listed separately and grouped under one nomenclature. Moreover, there are state-specific lists of STs.

— In November 2023, the government rolled out the Rs 24,104 crore PM JANMAN scheme with an aim to improve the socio-economic status, health, education, livelihoods and amenities for PVTGs in more than 200 districts. To implement the scheme, the MoTA, along with state governments, collected habitation level data in a survey to estimate the PVTG population. This exercise also involved the identification of infrastructure gaps in PVTG habitations.

Conclusion:

— As per the survey, there were an estimated 47.5 lakh PVTGs across India. At 13.22 lakh, Madhya Pradesh had the highest estimated population of PVTGs, followed by Maharashtra with an estimated population of 6.7 lakh, and Andhra Pradesh had about 5.18 lakh PVTGs.

— As per the 2011 Census, 13 PVTGs, who were enumerated as part of the 40 single-entry STs, had a population of less than 1,000. These include Jarawas, Onges, Sentinelese, Shompens in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Raji in Uttarakhand, Kota in Tamil Nadu, Birhor in Odisha, Kamar in Madhya Pradesh, and Savar, Birhor, Birjia, Korwa, Parhaiya in Bihar.

— Kamal K Misra, former director of the Anthropological Survey of India, said that before conducting a separate enumeration, the government should revisit the inclusion criteria for PVTGs based on which groups have improved or worsened over the years.

(Source: Who are particularly vulnerable tribal groups, which the govt wants to be counted separately in the Census?)

Points to Ponder

Read more about PVTGs

Read about constitutional provisions for tribals

Related Previous Year Questions

Given the diversities among tribal communities in India, in which specific contexts should they be considered as a single category? (2022)

Examine the uniqueness of tribal knowledge systems when compared with mainstream knowledge and cultural systems. (2021)

QUESTION 2: What is an earthquake and its underlying causes? Why are shallow-focus earthquakes generally more destructive than deep-focus ones? Illustrate with suitable examples.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— An earthquake is an intense shaking of the ground caused by movement under the Earth’s surface. It happens when two blocks of the Earth suddenly slip past one another. This releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which spread through the Earth and cause the shaking of the ground.

— The Earth’s outermost surface, crust, is fragmented into tectonic plates. The edges of the plates are called plate boundaries, which are made up of faults — zones of fractures between two blocks of rock. The tectonic plates constantly move at a slow pace, sliding past one another and bumping into each other. As the edges of the plates are quite rough, they get stuck with one another while the rest of the plate continues to move.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer:

— An earthquake occurs when the plate has moved far enough and its edges unstick on one of the faults. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says that “the location below the Earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the Earth is called the epicentre”.

— Shallow quakes are generally more dangerous as they carry more energy when they emerge to the surface, when compared to quakes that occur deeper underneath the surface. While deeper quakes do indeed spread farther as seismic waves move radially upwards to the surface, they lose energy while travelling greater distances. Shallow earthquakes generally have a depth of between zero and 70 km.

— Apart from the depth, the magnitude of an earthquake is also an indicator of how destructive a quake could be. Magnitude tells how big the seismic waves are, while strength refers to the energy they carry. “While each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the measured amplitude, it represents 32 times more energy release,” the USGS said.

— The seismic waves produced by a magnitude 6 earthquake have 10 times higher amplitude than the ones produced by a magnitude 5 earthquake. The energy differential is even higher, 32 times for every change of 1 in magnitude.

Examples:

— Afghanistan is situated on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet. These plates collide often, leading to significant tectonic activity in the region.

— A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 and at least six aftershocks struck central Myanmar bringing buildings down in the country’s second-largest city, Mandalay, and killing at least 1,600 people.

Conclusion:

— The magnitude of an earthquake is determined by the fault’s size and quantity of slip. Seismogram recordings are produced on seismographs located on the Earth’s surface to determine the magnitude of the earthquake.

(Source: Afghanistan earthquake: 800 dead, why the quake was so deadly, http://www.usgs.gov)

Points to Ponder

Read more about earthquakes

How are earthquakes recorded?

Can scientists predict earthquakes?

Related Previous Year Questions

What is the phenomenon of ‘Cloudbursts’? Explain. (2024)

Why are the world’s fold mountain systems located along the margins of continents? Bring out the association between the global distribution of fold mountains and the earthquakes and volcanoes. (2014)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 118)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 117)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 118)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 117)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 117)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 115)

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